Today, a student mingled somehow with English for years has still difficulties in bringing two words close together about his lifestyle, education, background or his interests as a result of traditional learning protecting its validity in today’s’ Turkey. It seems that even the people considered as proficient in English completing their foreign language education in schools having foreign language, do not know the words such as Uskudar Stage, Sublime Port Slope, adope brick and rosary which reflect the life style of Turkey. In addition, a student struggling to learn with traditional educational methods has to learn words such as giraffe, pig and Big Ben Clock Tower which will never have take part first degree in his life instead of learning words such as School of Business Administration, school manager, bachelor degree, fee, government department, charge ant etc which are going to be in his life closely. For example, among over 2000 English words which are planned to be taught at least in two English hours during the secondary education, it is frequently impossible for a student to encounter words such as Turkish Republic, The star and Crescent, Ottoman Empire and Islam even for once while he can come across with words unrelated to his own culture and his own life. As a result, when a Turkish person knowing English encounters with a foreigner, he has difficulties in translating subjects that related to him and the subject that he can harsh out. One of the reasons that Turkey has had failure in introducing itself in abroad for years is a potential matter of a debate whether it result from the deficiency in our foreign language education or not.
We think that we can find a solution for language teaching problem preventing a student to be alienated and included in group of ‘foreign language retirement’ with gradually increased boredom in him. Before anything else it can be solved with using educational materials taking its source from Turkey in Turkish Education Foundation. Apart from English educational materials with British and American origin, it has been normal for foreign experts not to know the needs of Turkish students’ as Turkish teachers do even if they have stayed in Turkey for years. As these experts cannot understand life style and perception of Turkish students arising from the cultural difference, it is difficult to be successful with the educational materials prepared by these experts and starting from the life of Turkish students.
MY COMMENT:
I think that it was not easy to translate this article because the sentences and the structures were too long and complicated. I felt difficulty in finding exact meaning in some vocabularies. For example, I could not decide whether to use Uskudar Stage, Sublime Port Slope or keep them in an original name. I tried to use formal and a little bit informal language while translating. I think that it requires higher vocabulary knowledge because it was an academic article but I think it was good experience for me. While translating, I thought I should search about the writer and her thoughts, which helped me to translate much easier. I think that one should know the basic rules such as the appropriate vocabulary choices, appropriate style and formality. I think that the culture issue is also important while translating this article because we have the word ‘rosary ‘ which a strange person may find unfamiliar. In addition, the national notions is not easy to reflect in another language such as ‘Ay Yildiz’ or ‘Turkiye Cumhuriyeti’. Therefore, while translating this academic text, one should be careful in structure, word choice and language use.
Bizim English by Alev ALATLI
Today, a student mingled somehow with English for years has still difficulties in bringing two words close together about his lifestyle, education, background or his interests as a result of traditional learning protecting its validity in today’s’ Turkey. It seems that even the people considered as proficient in English completing their foreign language education in schools having foreign language, do not know the words such as Uskudar Stage, Sublime Port Slope, adope brick and rosary which reflect the life style of Turkey. In addition, a student struggling to learn with traditional educational methods has to learn words such as giraffe, pig and Big Ben Clock Tower which will never have take part first degree in his life instead of learning words such as School of Business Administration, school manager, bachelor degree, fee, government department, charge ant etc which are going to be in his life closely. For example, among over 2000 English words which are planned to be taught at least in two English hours during the secondary education, it is frequently impossible for a student to encounter words such as Turkish Republic, The star and Crescent, Ottoman Empire and Islam even for once while he can come across with words unrelated to his own culture and his own life. As a result, when a Turkish person knowing English encounters with a foreigner, he has difficulties in translating subjects that related to him and the subject that he can harsh out. One of the reasons that Turkey has had failure in introducing itself in abroad for years is a potential matter of a debate whether it result from the deficiency in our foreign language education or not.
We think that we can find a solution for language teaching problem preventing a student to be alienated and included in group of ‘foreign language retirement’ with gradually increased boredom in him. Before anything else it can be solved with using educational materials taking its source from Turkey in Turkish Education Foundation. Apart from English educational materials with British and American origin, it has been normal for foreign experts not to know the needs of Turkish students’ as Turkish teachers do even if they have stayed in Turkey for years. As these experts cannot understand life style and perception of Turkish students arising from the cultural difference, it is difficult to be successful with the educational materials prepared by these experts and starting from the life of Turkish students.
MY COMMENT:
I think that it was not easy to translate this article because the sentences and the structures were too long and complicated. I felt difficulty in finding exact meaning in some vocabularies. For example, I could not decide whether to use Uskudar Stage, Sublime Port Slope or keep them in an original name. I tried to use formal and a little bit informal language while translating. I think that it requires higher vocabulary knowledge because it was an academic article but I think it was good experience for me. While translating, I thought I should search about the writer and her thoughts, which helped me to translate much easier. I think that one should know the basic rules such as the appropriate vocabulary choices, appropriate style and formality. I think that the culture issue is also important while translating this article because we have the word ‘rosary ‘ which a strange person may find unfamiliar. In addition, the national notions is not easy to reflect in another language such as ‘Ay Yildiz’ or ‘Turkiye Cumhuriyeti’. Therefore, while translating this academic text, one should be careful in structure, word choice and language use.